The player from Germany raised a formal complaint against Reels.io for reactivating his account after he had self-excluded due to gambling addiction. He expressed concerns about being contacted by the VIP manager, which had encouraged him to play and led to deposits exceeding 5,000 EUR. He requested a refund for these deposits. After reviewing the case, it was determined that the account could only have been reactivated with the player's explicit confirmation and that promotional contacts did not override player autonomy. The deposits made after reactivation were considered voluntary, and no breach of responsible gaming obligations was found. Therefore, the refund request was not supported.
Reels.io Casino - Player's account has been closed due to self-exclusion.
Closed
Our verdict
Other
Amount: €6,000
Reels.io Casino
Safety Index:Above averageCase summary
Discussion
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2 months ago
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2 months ago
Dear Mickstarxxx,
Thank you very much for submitting your complaint. I’m very sorry to hear about your negative experience. I checked the Responsible Gambling policy and I found this:
21.4. Self-exclusion requests can only be processed for registered and verified accounts. Any requests received from individuals who are not yet registered, or who have not completed the verification (KYC) procedure, cannot be actioned. Should such an individual subsequently register, it is the responsibility of the individual to activate self-exclusion or responsible gambling tools upon account creation. The Company bears no liability for any activity on accounts created after an unverified exclusion request submitted prior to registration or verification.
- What date exactly was your account closed due to gambling addiction?
- Have you clearly informed the casino about your gambling problem? Could you forward me the account closure requests that you sent to the casino? My email address is petra.h@casino.guru.
Thank you very much in advance.
Best regards,
Petra
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2 months ago
Translation
Good day,
The email has been sent, thank you!
Automatic translation:
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2 months ago
TranslationLadies and Gentlemen
Dear CasinoGuru-Mediation,
I would like to request another statement and review of my case regarding Reels.io.
The crucial point is not whether I gambled in general, but what happened after my ban due to gambling addiction:
My account was blocked due to gambling addiction. Nevertheless, on January 8, 2026, I was actively contacted by the casino's VIP team via email (and additionally via WhatsApp) and encouraged to play again. In this message, I was offered bonuses and benefits, which reactivated my previously blocked account.
From that point on, I was able to deposit large sums of money again and continue playing. This resulted in significant losses for me.
I therefore explicitly demand a refund of the losses incurred after contacting VIP and reactivating my account, as this is in clear contradiction to responsible player protection.
The casino claims the advertising was "standard practice" and that I acted voluntarily. However, this completely ignores the fact that a player who has self-excluded due to gambling addiction cannot be actively targeted or lured back.
I therefore urge CasinoGuru to investigate my case from the perspective of player protection and VIP recovery after self-exclusion and to strive for a fair solution.
I can provide proof of the VIP email from January 8th, as well as all deposits and transactions thereafter, at any time.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards
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2 months ago
Dear Mickstar,
Thank you for your reply and for providing the previous details.
Casinos usually strive to take the well-being of their players seriously and provide tools and support for those who choose to limit or stop their gambling. Once a player requests reactivation and confirms their intention to continue playing, the casino relies on that confirmation, and responsibility for any subsequent activity, deposits, and gameplay decisions remains with the player.
Could you please confirm:
- Whether you have manually requested the casino to reactivate your account and are aware of the responsibilities that come with it?
- The dates of the contacts you received from the VIP manager via email and WhatsApp?
- When your account was reactivated, and whether you were notified about this reactivation?
Additionally, if you have any further communication with the casino, we would appreciate it if you could share it with us. This can include screenshots, emails, or chat records. You can send all documents to petra.h@casino.guru or post your screenshots directly in the thread.
Thank you very much for your cooperation.
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2 months ago
TranslationDear Ms. Petra,
Thank you for your message.
I will gladly answer your questions as follows and summarize the information I have:
1. Did I manually request the casino to reactivate my account?
No.
After my previous ban due to gambling addiction, I was actively contacted by the casino's VIP manager, which motivated me to gamble again.
The contact was initiated by the casino.
The VIP manager's name is Darius.
2. On which days did the VIP manager make contact?
The first contact by the VIP manager (Darius) took place on
January 8, 2026 via email.
I was also contacted via WhatsApp.
3. When was my account reactivated and was I informed about it?
My previously blocked account was reactivated in connection with this contact on
Made usable again on January 8, 2026.
I was informed about the possibility of reusing the service via email communication.
I would like to explicitly clarify once again:
I had previously been banned due to a gambling problem and was subsequently contacted again by the casino (VIP manager Darius) and motivated to continue playing.
Only after that was the account used again and further deposits made.
I have already forwarded all the documents I have (VIP email, proof of payment, etc.) to your email address.
Should you require any further documents, I will of course be happy to send them to you.
Thank you for your support.
Best regards
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2 months ago
Thank you for your reply and for providing the previous details, Mickstar.
It is important to emphasize that promotional communication does not override player autonomy, and it is not clearly stated that, after a self-exclusion request, the casino is obligated to exclude you from any offers or promotions. Unfortunately, this responsibility usually remains with the player’s own active request.
I have read the attached email communication from the casino regarding account reactivation: the casino’s systems do not allow an account to be reopened without the player’s active request and confirmation of acceptance of the applicable terms. Without this confirmation, reactivation would not have been possible. The final decision to reopen the account was therefore yours.
Are you certain, therefore, that you did not request the account to be reopened, even unintentionally?
Could you also provide any additional communication you’ve had with the casino? This can include screenshots, emails, or chat records. You can send all documents to petra.h@casino.guru or post your screenshots directly to the thread.
Thank you again for your cooperation.
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2 months ago
Dear Mickstar,
I understand how upsetting it can feel to believe that a casino has not protected you properly, and I am sorry for the frustration this situation has caused.
After conducting an independent review of the available communication and account history, I must inform you that I am unable to support your claim further.
Regarding communication from the operator, the evidence shows that any contact made was promotional in nature and related solely to general offers. No guarantees, promises, or assurances of winnings were made. Participation in gameplay was not presented as an obligation. Promotional communication, in itself, does not override personal autonomy or transfer responsibility for gambling decisions.
With respect to account reactivation, your account had previously been closed at your request. The subsequent reopening could occur only after a player confirms that he wishes to resume playing and completes the necessary reactivation steps. Based on the information reviewed, the system does not allow an account to be reopened without the account holder’s active request or confirmation. Therefore, the decision to reactivate the account was made upon your explicit confirmation.
Concerning responsible gaming obligations, operators are expected to provide tools for restriction and self-exclusion. However, once a player requests reactivation and confirms their intention to resume play, the operator is generally entitled to rely on that confirmation unless there is clear evidence of a prior, explicit self-exclusion due to gambling addiction. Based on the documentation available, such a clearly stated self-exclusion request was not submitted before reactivation.
Regarding financial losses, your complaint focuses on activity after the account was reopened. When assessing such matters, the full account history must be considered. The deposits made after reactivation were initiated voluntarily and used in accordance with the applicable terms and conditions. I have not found sufficient evidence of a breach of responsible gaming obligations that would justify recommending a refund.
For these reasons, I must conclude that there are no grounds to support a refund request in this case.
That said, if you feel that gambling has become difficult to manage, it may be beneficial to consider formal self-exclusion. You may find the following assistance tool helpful for excluding yourself across multiple gambling platforms:
https://casino.guru/global-self-exclusion-initiative/assistance-tool
Additionally, professional support services specializing in gambling-related harm can be found here:
https://casino.guru/problem-gambling-help-centers#cnt_87=true
I regret that a more favorable outcome was not possible, but I hope this explanation clarifies the reasoning behind the decision. I am sorry that we were not able to help you with this matter. However, please do not hesitate to contact us in the future if you encounter any issues with this or any other casino. We will do our best to assist you.
Kind regards,
Petra
